


Good And Bad

by AislinMarue



Series: Science Boyfriends - Bruce Banner/Tony Stark [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:30:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AislinMarue/pseuds/AislinMarue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Bruce Banner, there were good days and then there were bad days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good And Bad

**Author's Note:**

> I had a rough day so apparently Bruce had to as well. I had my husband to make my day better so I figured Bruce should have Tony.

For Bruce Banner, there were good days and then there were bad days.

There were days when the sun shone in the sky, yet Bruce’s spirit shone brighter. Days when he felt like nothing could truly bring him down. Days when he felt that he truly was making a difference in the world even in the smallest of ways. Days when life was good and Bruce loved living it.

Those days came more and more now that he’d found a place to call home and people to call family.

Then there were days when Bruce’s shoulders felt so heavy from the burden he carried that it surprised him when his legs didn’t give out on him. Days when hope was fleeting and the anger and despair were never far off. Days when he felt like he’d be consumed by them and no one could save him from it.

On those days, his mind inevitably strayed back to that day long past when he’d wanted nothing more than to save the world from himself by picking up a simple revolver and putting the barrel into his mouth, then pulling the trigger. It had been the easiest thing in the world to do. Yet the Hulk had other plans.

Death was not in the cards for Bruce Banner if the Hulk had anything to say about it. 

Today, the skies in New York were overcast. A deep, dull grey that had rolled in with the latest cold front, promising an early snow for the season. It was freezing and people huddled in coats on the streets below Stark Tower as they went about their business. Yet Bruce stood outside, the chill wind blowing through his curls and making his dark brown eyes water.

Bruce hadn’t bothered with a coat. He had only a loose fitting t-shirt and a thin pair of sweatpants protecting him from the elements. Let the Hulk protect him from the cold, he thought bitterly, his body shivering in the low temperatures.

New York stretched out all around him and the scientist couldn’t help wishing, even if only for a brief moment, that he was anyone else but him. One of the millions of nameless people who went about their lives in the massive city they called home with nothing to worry about save how they were going to pay their bills that month. Not whether or not they’d become angry enough to turn into a monster that could level skyscrapers.

He closed his eyes and let the cold surround him, fill him. Center him. Bruce used the cold as a distraction from the weight of his thoughts and hoped it would be enough until his mood eventually passed. They always did. His teammates helped, but they’d all gone their separate ways for the day.

Thor was back in Asgard. Clint and Natasha had been called away on another assignment. Steve was in Washington at the request of the military. And, to Bruce’s disappointment, Tony was on the West Coast with Pepper debuting a new prototype Stark Industries had developed. That left the good doctor all alone in the Tower’s living areas and with that solitude had come the depression.

Bruce had no idea when he’d gone from savoring time to himself to dreading it. Probably around the time the Avengers had all moved into Stark Tower and become a closely knit unit. He could get through it though. He always did.

He sat down on the cool floor of the balcony outside the main living area, his back resting against the wall. He didn’t move for quite some time despite the way his body shivered from the cold. Not even when tiny snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Some landed on his skin, his hair, but he showed no reaction to it.

Instead, he lowered his gaze from the grey, overcast sky to where his hands rested on his legs. He’d done so much with those hands. And no matter how much he tried to convince himself that the Hulk’s hands were not his own, he’d never succeeded. His hands had worked wonders of science and horrors of destruction. He’d brought about modern marvels yet destroyed so much. How many had suffered because of the Hulk? Because of him?

The thought had him closing his eyes tightly while bringing his legs up to huddle with his arms wrapped around them, forehead resting on his knees. Idly, he thought he hadn’t had a day like this in a while so perhaps he was just due for one. That didn’t make it any easier to get through.

Bruce stirred when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He briefly considered not answering it. He hadn’t even wanted the damn thing in the first place, but Tony had insisted. It couldn’t be traced by anyone but Tony, yet the damn thing still made him nervous. He only carried it for Tony’s sake and there was only one person who would call him on it. The others knew he preferred to text if he had to use the phone at all.

Taking the device out of his pocket, he saw Tony’s picture on the screen for a face time call and accepted it.

The billionaire’s usually cocky smile wasn’t there. Instead, there was a softer one. One that only Bruce got to see, but his features showed concern as well.

“Hey,” Tony said quietly, the sky bright and blue behind him.

“Hey,” Bruce muttered, keeping his arms wrapped around his legs while holding the phone up so he could see.

“I had a feeling today would be a bad day. Glad I got a chance to call.” Tony’s fingertip brushed across the screen and it was almost like Bruce could feel the caress there on his jaw, right along the jawline where Tony liked best.

“I’m all right.” He didn’t want Tony worrying. He needed to focus on work while he was on the other side of the country. Not Bruce’s mood swings.

“Liar. Are you outside? Happy said it’s snowing.” Tony peered at what he could see of the background behind Bruce, but all he could really see what Bruce’s head and the wall he was seated against.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m outside. And it’s snowing. Just a little bit though.” He turned the phone enough so Tony could see the small flakes falling from the sky.

“Bruce! Put a damn coat on if you’re going to be outside!” Tony must’ve seen a flash of his arms exposed to the elements when he turned the phone and Bruce bit back a sigh.

He rose from the ground, brushing lingering snowflakes off of his clothes before shuffling back into the warmth of the Tower. He kept the phone angled so Tony could see his face though.

Tony sighed quietly. “Christ. I wish I was there. So damn much.”

Bruce had to give a small smile at that, but shook his head. “You had work. It’s all right. I’ve been keeping busy in the lab.”

“Yeah, but it’s a bad day. I can tell. And I hate not being there for it.” Tony was moving as well, though it appeared he was inside of his motel room given the rather swanky furniture Bruce could see in the background.

“It is, but I’ll handle it,” he said, moving into his own room and closing the door behind him.

“By sitting outside in the snow with no coat?” Tony asked, dark brow arching as he sat down on his motel bed.

“I wasn’t out there for long.” Bruce crawled onto his bed and rested his phone on the pillow beside his head, shivering still as he curled up beneath the warmth of his blankets.

He saw Tony shift as well to lie down, mirroring Bruce’s position on the bed. “Still. Wish I was there. I can probably cut the trip short a few days though. Come home tomorrow. Pepper can handle the rest without me.”

“Don’t,” Bruce said, shaking his head slightly. “You need to be there for work, so work. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“You don’t want me to come home early?” Tony asked, peering at Bruce intently through the screen.

“You know I’d love to see you. But don’t let your work suffer because of me, Tony. I heard Pepper telling you how important this trip was and that you needed to be there. Just stay and get through the rest of the trip and I’ll see you on Thursday, okay?” It was Sunday and Bruce tried not to think of how long that would leave until he saw the other man again.

Tony sighed, but didn’t argue further which was surprising all on it’s own. Bruce had expected to work a lot harder to convince Tony to stay in California. 

“Fine, but I’m staying on the phone with you for a while. I want to. I miss you.” Never let it be said Tony Stark wasn’t as stubborn as an ox when he had good reason to be. And Bruce Banner loved him all the more for it.

The words brought a small smile to Bruce’s face. The first he’d had all day, for sure. “I miss you too.”

Perhaps there was hope for the day yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed my story! If you did, please consider buying me a ko-fi? My family and I could really use the help.
> 
> ko-fi.com/AislinMarue


End file.
